If you’re a total water baby and prefer spending your time submerged along a coral reef or following exotic-looking fish around then you must be a scuba diver. Some of the most magical coasts to dive off of are along Africa’s rugged shores where the waters are warm and the sea life is colourful and striking.
Cape Town, South Africa. Shark Alley is your best chance of getting up-close to a Great White Shark. You’ll be safer in a cage while the ferocious but beautiful creatures swim around you. There are also free diving spots where it’s just you and the big blue.
Red Sea, Egypt. A number of the world’s top dive sites are found in this ancient waterway. Dive conditions here are unbeatable with high visibility, very warm waters and few waves. You’ll be able to explore Thistlegorm, Shark and Yolanda Reef, Elphinstone Reef, Ras Mohammed and more.
Mnemba Island, Tanzania. The visibility is clear and the calm blue seas around this private coral island provide ample opportunities for snorkeling and diving.
Barra, Mozambique. Spot pepperfish, clownfish, morays, angelfish, sea turtles and clown fish along the reefs just outside Barra. You’ll also find ridiculously affordable dives and accommodation.
Seychelles Islands. The tiny island of Mahe, off the east coast of Africa, is thousands of miles from anywhere. The marine parks surrounding the island are definitely worth the trip; the coral is colourful, the currents are gentle and an astounding variety of fish await your arrival. You might even come across the occasional whale shark.
Zanzibar, Tanzania. Here you’ll combine some of the past with your present dive. Centuries-old wrecks are scattered all around this multi-cultural island. This destination is also a historically significant spice route to Asia.
Umbria, Sudan. There is a lack of divers in Sudan, and that means that the huge wreck there is covered with coral, teaming with life and barely touched. You’ll pass manta rays and, if you’re lucky, whale and tiger sharks too.
Red Sea, Eritrea. You probably won’t see anyone else in Eritrea’s swath of the Red Sea. Visibility is high but few divers populate these waters. You can explore the dive sites of Massawa and Dahlak Islands in peace.
Aliwal Shoal, South Africa. This premier site attracts humpback whales, schools of dolphins, manta rays, moray eels, sea turtles, an occasional shark and other aquatic characters. Expect to find a few underwater friends on your dives.
Sha’ab Rumi South, Sudan. If you enjoy diving with hammerheads, this is the spot for you. You’ll also come across many other sharks on your dives. Jacques Cousteau kept his legendary shark observation cage here, which makes this spot an exciting one to visit.
Jade Scully is a copywriter excited about writing copy and stories, blogging about the world and editing. She currently and regularly publishes her stories on a number of blogs. Jade loves animals and hopes to begin writing copy for the animal rescue charity TEARS as her contribution to the cause.
